German Football / Razhan Miran / 28 August 2009 / Leave a comment

Razhan Miran tells us why the return of Franck Ribery from injury and the midweek arrival of Arjen Robben should give Bayern Munich the boost they need to once again dominate the Bundesliga.

"Three games in and without a win, now is the time to make the most of Bayern’s inflated price. Back before the team sheet comes through at [1.86], as once Ribery is named in the starting line up that price will certainly take a sizeable fall. "

In reaction to another woeful start to the campaign, Bayern have splashed out this week on Holland and Real Madrid star, Arjen Robben. It was no secret Robben was open to a transfer to a top tier club this summer, but with a price tag of upwards of £20m for the injury prone winger, the risk was too great for most. Not for Bayern it would seem, who are looking to place the blame on the players this time, rather than the manager.

Reliance on playmaker Franck Ribery looked to have cost them the title last season after he missed most of the campaign through injury, and with the Frenchman yet to start a match this season, a sense of déjà vu was apparent at the Allianz. Although long overdue, in one swift transfer Bayern Munich is once again home to some of Europe's best players. Not since the days Stefan Effenberg and Lothar Matthaus have they been able to boast such quality, and should both Ribery and Robben remain fit this campaign, a very promising season awaits the Bavarian club. Starting with the champions at home on Saturday.

Bayern v Wolfsburg

Louis Van Gaal has had a turbulent start to his Bayern career. Unfortunately for him most of his stars seem to be underperforming, especially big money signing Mario Gomez. However, the news that everyone has been waiting for is that Ribery is poised to make his first start of the season, after a consecutive summer blighted by injury. Probably too early for Robben, but should he get clearance in time, then the dazzling Dutchman may make it onto the bench.

Wolfsburg suffered a shock home defeat last weekend, as the fortress that is the Volkswagen Arena was silenced by a rampant Hamburg. In typical Bruno Labaddia style, Hamburg poured forward in numbers on the break, highlighting Wolfsburg's defensive frailties.

Three games in and without a win, now is the time to make the most of Bayern's inflated price. Back before the team sheet comes through at [1.86], as once Ribery is named in the starting line up that price will certainly take a sizeable fall.

Schalke v Freiburg

Freiburg were torn apart after a positive start against Leverkusen last weekend, with the final score a misleading five-nil. However it may occur to them how much worse that score may have been had they begun the first half like they started the second.

Akin to our very own West Brom last season, Freiburg try and play the game the way it should. They say to play poorly and win is the sign of a championship winning team, but it is also true that to play well and get thrashed is the sign of a team about to get relegated. Changes need to be made, but manager Robin Dutt seems adamant to stick to his philosophy.

On that note, take the Schalke -1.0&-1.5 in the Asian Handicap at [1.97]. Schalke like to remain solid and compact, even at home, and will grind the rookies down over the course of the game. Having already conceded nine in the last two weeks, I suspect they will improve, but a two goal deficit seems a lot more likely than unlikely, hence value at a price near evens. The correct score 2-0 and 3-0, a bet I'm particularly fond of, also looks a good shout at odds of [8.2] and [11.0].

Round Up

Hoffenheim, still without a win, are away to Hanover this weekend, who took their first three points of the season away at Nurnberg last week. They are favourites for the bout according to the odds, which should not be the case at all. Lay Hoffenheim at [2.64] well before kick, as this price will almost certainly get bigger by kick off.

Stuttgart look supremely dominant whenever they play at home, and the [1.5] on them to beat a Nurnberg side with only a single point in the first three games looks tasty.

Recommended:

Back Bayern to beat Wolfsburg @ 1.86
Back the Schalke -1.0&-1.5 in the Asian Handicap against Freiburg @ 1.97
Back the 2-0 correct score in the Schalke v Freiburg game @ 8.2
Lay Hoffenheim against Hanover @ 2.64
Back Stuttgart to beat Nurnberg @ 1.5